17% of urban inhabitants in Europe are at risk of poverty.
Poverty in the European Union is a multidimensional issue that extends far beyond income levels, affecting individuals’ ability to live with dignity and fully participate in society. Rising living costs have intensified challenges such as food, energy, housing, and transport poverty, particularly in urban areas, where high costs of living and social exclusion are deepening inequalities.
Vulnerable populations, including single mothers, children, migrants, people with disabilities, and ethnic minorities, face intersecting forms of disadvantage, often exacerbated by discrimination and systemic barriers.
This makes poverty an urban phenomenon.
Poverty, the urban phenomenon
Cities, while offering proximity to services, also concentrate poverty risks, with growing numbers of working poor and homeless individuals, and rising rates of child poverty. Despite the gravity of these challenges, data on urban poverty remains fragmented, complicating effective policy responses.
Yet, cities are not just the backdrop of poverty; they are also crucial actors in combating it. With their proximity to citizens and ability to tailor responses to specific needs, cities are uniquely positioned to lead in crafting and implementing effective anti-poverty strategies that empower people affected by poverty to drive social change.
Cities across Europe have developed valuable experience and expertise in addressing poverty through locally driven social innovation. Many are already implementing creative and impactful solutions that could inspire and inform others.
This is why cities need to be involved in the design and implementation of the first-ever EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, a strategy that needs to be backed by funding and clear recommendations under the European Semester until European Union-level targets are met. The EU should actively support these efforts by ensuring dedicated funding for city-led capacity building and knowledge exchange activities under both the current financial period and the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework.
To further localise the ambition of the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, the European Commission should establish an EU Mission for Cities against Poverty, inspired by the Mission for Climate-Neutral Cities.
This approach would foster integrated and place-based strategies, create a strong network of cities committed to ambitious poverty reduction policies, and facilitate ongoing knowledge exchange and mutual support between European cities committed to the EU poverty eradication ambition.
Our recommendations
As EU leaders prepare to discuss the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, cities call for:
Firstly, an EU Anti-Poverty Strategy which prioritises prevention and early intervention by:
- Breaking the generational cycle of poverty by focusing on children and investing in inclusive high-quality education
- Ensuring sufficient income and access to work
- Tackling the housing crisis
- Recognising discrimination as a root cause and multiplier of poverty
Secondly, the EU Anti-Poverty strategy should also support pathways out of poverty by:
- Tackling the non-take-up of support
- Strengthening access to quality jobs and skills
- Promoting Housing First and long-term solutions to end homelessness
- Supporting migrants
- Ensuring affordable and accessible mobility for all
- Preventing over-indebtedness
Lastly, the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy should address the consequences of poverty on health, civic involvement or access to culture.
From crisis to action
Eurocities is launching ‘From crisis to action: A call for an integrated EU Anti-Poverty Strategy led by cities‘. The paper includes 22 recommendations and calls for a people-centred, intersectional EU approach that builds on local innovation and experience to prevent poverty, support pathways out of poverty, and address the long-term impact of poverty while establishing the necessary conditions for a successful EU Anti-Poverty Strategy.
By addressing the root causes of poverty at the local level, and before they take hold, we can prevent suffering, promote dignity, and create a society where everyone can thrive.
